[Jan 3, 2026] Swanage Railway Winter Warm Up - Jan 3rd and 4th 2026 (Dorset)

This happened at the Bullied II Gala where the rear loco was detached at Corfe from a down train and then reattached out of the yard to the rear of an up train, as seen here.
Both Corfe platforms are bi directional.

 

I’m really struggling to understand why you think it doesn’t work - the diesel can be kept in the Corfe dock/detached at Norden and the steam can use the Up Siding. @Rumpole will be able to explain how the shunts and engine swaps work, as the WTT doesn’t contain the exact details of them.

 

Thanks. It would be could if he could. At some stage 34028 would either have to back the stock out of the up sidings or run round it. Don

 

Here is My video of the Winter Warm Up Gala, filmed along the whole line, Enjoy

 

Summer Comes Soonest in the South

 

I'm surprised not to see more pictures/videos of this event. What a brilliant start to the year! I'm glad to note that on the Swanage Railway thread (under "Heritage Railways") someone has posted that the railway sold twice as many tickets as usual for a "Winter Warmer", so hopefully the railway will have washed its face financially. It certainly deserves to. What more could one want? River Frome bridge running, the unexpected appearance of 34070 Manston, wall-to-wall sunshine, not to mention the usual friendly staff.

I particularly appreciated the spirited climbs from the River Frome Bridge up to Furzebrook by the Bulleids, which I was able to enjoy both from the front coach as a passenger and from the usual vantage points (Stoborough Heath, Creech Bottom) as a photographer.

Well worth a 130-mile journey, including getting up in the dark at 5.30AM. Thank you once again, Swanage Railway for a fantastic day.

 

Corfe Castle. January 2026.

 

Maybe some of us are still trying to get warm John, and that was before yesterday spent on the trains mainly with little heat it seemed (at least until you stood on a platform)
Anyway some photographic offerings from Day 1. A great event not without its problems with Jenny Lewis failing on Friday, leading to Manston as a sub. A big bonus as far as I was concerned but I suspect the 33 fans did not see it that way. Then the brake issues on the two vans leading to their non appearance on the shuttle, which was a great shame as it would have been the first operation of the newly painted van. Then the strange roster rewrite on Saturday which fooled me and others, meaning I went home for lunch and missed a Manston run from the river. Going back out to find a 33 instead with Manston on the back. Thus the 90 minutes or so I sat at Creech was at least passed by reading the novel I had taken with me.
Saturday ran to time, and Sunday did as well apart from the first service. Forget who commented on that, maybe they should think about the operational issues in those temps.

 

My Day 2 offerings from spending the day on the trains.
I had mentioned earlier in the week that the answer I had received from the railway confused me regarding the use of my season ticket. So Saturday evening I dropped into the booking office to check again and was told it was valid as "Normal discounts apply." Either way no issues Sunday I showed my ticket I think to 3 TTI's on each of the sets in the morning. So was somewhat surprised when the TTI on the 14:15 from Swanage, the fullest train I was on all day said "that is not valid". I explained the situation and in the end he left it. I could sense those around and opposite me thought I was some fare evader
chancing it.
Still I suppose a penalty fare or an MG11 is difficult on a Heritage Line.

Either way a great event, even if walking the 500 metres or so to and from the station is now becoming an effort, and window hanging really a thing of the past, although I did have a quick look out a few times on the final two Bulleid runs as far as Creech. Face masks are at least useful to stop the cold air getting onto my chest too much, but they do not work to well with goggles a well due to steaming up.

My best run of the day back from the River was the first train of the day with 34028, but all seemed to be going well with even the T3 achieving a time of 3 min 20 between Holme Lane and Furzebrook Bridges. Although as it then took 4 minutes 9 seconds from Corfe to Afflington Bridge (my joint 6th slowest ever time), I suspect the presence of 34028 on the rear may have had something to do with that.

 

Proving you can never please everyone.
I bumped into a life member I know I usually see on Sundays of a Gala. Did not see him during the warm up and he said he did not bother as it was a "lousy timetable". I though it was an excellent timetable I spent two visits to Swanage during the day of about 3 minutes each to change trains and apart from a chosen break at Corfe of about 30 minutes to go to the bakery to get a roll, I was on a train all day. Not sure what more the railway could do really, especially as it ran to time both days for about 95% of the time.